System for requirement based intelligent resource allocation

Abstract

The invention provides systems, computer implement method, and computer program product for requirement based intelligent resource allocation, comprising electronically receiving, via a distributed network, information associated with at least one supplier, the information associated with the at least one supplier comprising at least a supplier type identifier, supplier availability, and supplier location data; electronically receiving, via a customer device operably connected to the distributed network, a service requirement request from a customer; identify potential suppliers for the service requirement request based on the information associated with the suppliers; determining whether the potential suppliers satisfy one or more predetermined conditions; displaying the availability that satisfies the one or more predetermined conditions to the customer; receiving a customer selection; and allocating the at least one of the potential suppliers based on at least the customer selection.

1 . A computer-implemented method for requirement based intelligent resource allocation, the method comprising:
 electronically receiving, via a distributed network, information associated with at least one supplier, the information associated with the at least one supplier comprising at least a supplier type identifier, supplier availability, and supplier location data;   storing the information associated with the at least one supplier in at least one database;   electronically receiving, via a customer device operably connected to the distributed network, a service requirement request ( 12 ) from a customer, the service requirement request ( 12 ) comprising at least a service requirement identifier associated with a required service request, and service requirement location data;   initiating a supplier allocation subroutine to query the database and identify potential suppliers for the service requirement request ( 12 ), wherein the supplier allocation subroutine is further configured to determine a match between the at least one supplier type identifier and the service requirement identifier, and the supplier location data and service requirement location data;   electronically retrieving the potential suppliers based on at least the match;   determining whether the potential suppliers satisfy one or more predetermined conditions, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions comprises availability within at least one predetermined time period;   transmitting control signals configured to cause the customer device to display the availability that satisfies the one or more predetermined conditions;   receiving, via the customer device, a customer selection, wherein the customer selection comprises an appointment having an associated date and time from the supplier availability associated with the potential suppliers that satisfies the one or more predetermined conditions; and   allocating the at least one of the potential suppliers based on at least the customer selection.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 providing, in the at least one database, associations between the supplier type identifier and a supplier type price, and between the service requirement identifier and a service price, and, 
 querying the database for the supplier type price and the service requirement price; 
 determining a price for the service requirement request based on at least the supplier type price and the service requirement price; and 
 providing the price for the service requirement request to the customer. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  further comprising:
 receiving, from the customer device, an indication that the customer has accepted the price for the service requirement request. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising:
 after selecting the appointment, querying the database and identifying the potential suppliers for the service requirement request ( 12 ) by matching at least the supplier type identifier with the service requirement identifier, and the service requirement location data with the supplier location data; 
 determining whether the identified potential suppliers satisfy one or more predetermined conditions, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions comprises availability at the date and time of the selected appointment based on at least the match; and 
 providing, via the customer device, confirmation of the availability of the identified potential supplier at the date and time of the selected appointment. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising:
 providing, in the at least one database, associations between the supplier type identifier and least one supplier type price, and between the service requirement identifier and service price, and, 
 after selecting the appointment, initiating the supplier allocation subroutine to query the database and identify potential suppliers for the service requirement request ( 12 ) by matching the supplier type identifier with the service requirement identifier, and the service requirement location data with the supplier location data; 
 querying the database for the supplier type price and the service price; 
 determining whether the identified potential suppliers satisfy one or more predetermined conditions, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions comprises availability at the date and time of the selected appointment; 
 providing, via the customer device, confirmation of the availability of the identified potential supplier at the date and time of the selected appointment; 
 determining a price for the service requirement request based on at least the supplier type price and the service requirement price; and 
 providing, via the customer device, the price for the service requirement request to the customer. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5  further comprising:
 receiving, via the customer device, an indication that the customer has accepted the price. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the service requirement request ( 12 ) is temporarily stored as a cookie in the customer device. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 after the step of selecting the appointment by the customer, allocating a unique job identifier to the service requirement request ( 12 ), and creating a job record in the database using the unique job identifier and the data in the service requirement request ( 12 ). 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 after the customer has accepted the price, or after the customer has accepted the price and entered payment information, allocating a unique job identifier to the service requirement request ( 12 ), and creating a job record in the database using the unique job identifier and the data in the service requirement request ( 12 ).   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2  in which the price for the service requirement request comprises at least one of:
 a preliminary price associated with at least one of the supplier type and service type; and, 
 at least one of a system fee, a payment module fee, a notification module fee, a tracking module fee, a fulfilment module fee. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the step of identifying at least one supplier comprises identifying at least one supplier type, and where two or more supplier types are required for a service requirement request, identifying a supplier for each supplier type. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the service requirement identifier for the service requirement request is associated with one supplier type identifier. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the service requirement identifier for the service requirement request is associated with more than one supplier type identifier. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising:
 determining that more than one supplier is available at the date and time of the selected appointment for the supplier type identifier; and 
 selecting the potential supplier for the supply type identifier either randomly, geographically, alphabetically, and/or in-turn. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1  in which the at least one supplier, the customer, and an administrator are each assigned a unique user identifier and a unique user type identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1  in which location data of at least one of the supplier location data, a customer location data, the service requirement location data, and a job location data comprises at least one of a location and a location range associated with that respective supplier, customer, service requirement or job. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program product used for requirement based intelligent resource allocation, said computer program code comprising computer instructions to cause one or more processors to perform the operations of:
 electronically receiving, via a distributed network, information associated with at least one supplier, the information associated with the at least one supplier comprising at least a supplier type identifier, supplier availability, and supplier location data;   storing the information associated with the at least one supplier in at least one database;   electronically receiving, via a customer device operably connected to the distributed network, a service requirement request ( 12 ) from a customer, the service requirement request ( 12 ) comprising at least a service requirement identifier associated with a required service request, and service requirement location data;   initiating a supplier allocation subroutine to query the database and identify potential suppliers for the service requirement request ( 12 ), wherein the supplier allocation subroutine is further configured to determine a match between the at least one supplier type identifier and the service requirement identifier, and the supplier location data and service requirement location data;   electronically retrieving the potential suppliers based on at least the match;   determining whether the potential suppliers satisfy one or more predetermined conditions, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions comprises at least one predetermined time period;   transmitting control signals configured to cause the customer device to display the availability that satisfies the one or more predetermined conditions;   receiving, via the customer device, a customer selection, wherein the customer selection comprises an appointment having an associated date and time from the supplier availability associated with the potential suppliers that satisfies the one or more predetermined conditions; and   allocating the at least one of the potential suppliers based on at least the customer selection.   
     
     
         18 . A system for requirement based intelligent resource allocation, the system comprising:
 a control module ( 40 );   at least one database ( 70 ,  80 ,  90 );   at least one user interface module providing at least one customer user interface ( 20 ) and at least one supplier user interface ( 30 ); and   an appointments service module ( 45 );   
       further in which:
 the control module ( 40 ) is configured for electronically receiving, via a distributed network, information associated with at least one supplier, the information associated with the at least one supplier comprising at least a supplier type identifier, supplier availability, and supplier location data, and for receiving, via a customer device operably connected to the distributed network, a service requirement request ( 12 ) from a customer, the service requirement request ( 12 ) comprising at least a service requirement identifier associated with a required service request, and service requirement location data; 
 storing the information associated with the at least one supplier in at least one database ( 70 ,  80 ,  90 ); 
 the control module ( 40 ) is further configured for initiating a supplier allocation subroutine to query the database and identify potential suppliers for the service requirement request ( 12 ), wherein the supplier allocation subroutine is further configured to determine a match between the at least one supplier type identifier and the service requirement identifier, and the supplier location data and service requirement location data, and electronically retrieving the potential suppliers based on at least the match; 
 the appointments module ( 45 ) is configured for determining whether the potential suppliers satisfy one or more predetermined conditions, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions comprises at least one predetermined time period; 
 the control module ( 40 ) is further configured for transmitting control signals configured to cause the customer device to display on the customer user interface ( 20 ), the availability that satisfies the one or more predetermined conditions; 
 the customer user interface ( 20 ) is configured for receiving a customer selection, wherein the customer selection comprises an appointment having an associated date and time from the supplier availability associated with the potential suppliers that satisfies the one or more predetermined conditions; and 
 the control module ( 40 ) is further configured for allocating the at least one of the potential suppliers based on at least the customer selection. 
 
     
     
         19 . A system according to  claim 18  in which
 the control module ( 40 ) is configured for, after selection of the appointment by the customer, querying the database and identifying potential suppliers for the service requirement request ( 12 ) by matching at least one supplier type identifier with the service requirement identifier, and the service location data with the supplier location data; and, 
 the appointments module ( 45 ) is configured for determining the availabilities of the identified potential suppliers at the date and time of the selected appointment; and, 
 the control module ( 40 ) is configured for providing confirmation of the availability of the identified potential supplier at the date and time of the selected appointment to the customer user interface ( 20 ). 
 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19  in which
 the at least one database ( 70 ,  80 ,  90 ) comprises associations between the supplier type identifier and a supplier type price, and between the service requirement identifier and a service price, and, 
 and the control module ( 40 ) is configured for querying the database for the supplier type price and the service requirement price; 
 and the appointments service module ( 45 ) is configured for determining the availabilities of the identified potential suppliers at the date and time of the selected appointment and for determining a price for the service requirement request based on at least the supplier type price and the service requirement price; and 
 
       and the control module ( 40 ) is configured for providing the price for the service requirement request to the customer.